An alternate universe

Ch-38

'How could you take off just like that?! And without informing anyone too!'
My mother fumed, glaring at me from behind her office desk.

I knew she was deliberately trying to keep all her focus on me and entirely overlook the existence of a figure sitting beside me at a respectable distance, of course.

Her already bad temperament had taken a dive at the sight of our intertwined hands, as we had entered in her office.

'You lied to me as well mother! Don't act like you did nothing wrong!'
I fired back, matching her expressions with a glare of my own.
She had a lot of explaining to do as well.

Huffing with mock surprise at my fired response, she stood up and started pacing around with ocassionally bursts of mutterings with herself in hushed harsh whispers.

I glanced at my side. Ryu Si-O sat with utmost casualness, with his legs crossed and a slight hint of a smirk plastered on his face, no doubt enjoying our bickering session, however his eyes were guarded.

Although his demeanor seemed calm but his eyes couldn't help but display tightness.

Was it because this place indeed had been an enemy territory? Or simply because of the mutual distrust and dislike, between him and mother even after forging an alliance as he had informed me in the car.

His gaze had been sharp and calculating when it was on her but softened as they met mine.

'Are you alright?'
His warm hands covered my cold ones, as he whispered with concern looking at my face.

I nodded, trying for a smile for his sake but I knew I must have looked exhausted.
His own face displayed concealed mountain of stress and exhaustion.

But he smiled still.

'I should be asking you that'
I said, handing him a cup of coffee.

'Although I am not overly fond of your mother' he said with a sneer and then added, 'but I am fine, you are here'

I had to look away from his intense gaze making him chuckle at my prompt shyness before he took a sip of his coffee.

I tried adjusting my hair akwardly to not look as flustered as I felt.

This feeling was getting intensified maybe because I sat in my house, a few feet away from my fuming mother while Shio sat beside me with a playful smirk and multiple remarks on his tongue to make my cheeks go crimson.

'This matter is quite serious, I wanted you to stay out of it'
Mother spoke, pulling all my attention with it.

Ever since mother had mentioned something about some evidence the police had dug out, our minds had become grim.

I would occasionally catch Shio lost in his head, with a faraway calculating struggle on his face.

Whatever it was, nothing mattered. I was adamant about one thing and it was his freedom. We had already suffered a lot due to miscommunication, I did not want this again.

I don't know what I will do if something was to happen to him. This thought was enough to gather the clouds of absolute desolation over my head.
I couldn't afford to lose him.

'But there was no need to lie'
I said to mother. There was no doubt her intentions were for the best and she undeniably disliked Shio but she would need to understand, anything related to him is directly related to me and she would need to be respectful towards him.

'I didn't lie, I just didn't tell'
I had to glare at her cheeky remark.

'And I was clear about what you had to do you rat! Was I not?'